Black-chinned Laughingthrush

The Black-chinned Laughingthrush is a species of Laughingthrush endemic to the high elevation areas of the Nilgiris and adjoining hill ranges in Peninsular India. The mosty rufous underparts, olive brown upperparts, a prominent white eyebrow and a black throat make it unmistakable. It is easily detected by its loud series of nasal call notes and can be hard to spot when it is hidden away inside a patch of dense vegetation. The species has a confusing taxonomic history, leading to a range of names. There are two subspecies, the nominate form in the Nilgiris and ''jerdoni'' with a grey upper breast and found in the Brahmagiris of Coorg and Banasura range of Wayanad. They are omnivorous, feeding on a range of insects, berries and nectar. In the past the grey-breasted form ''jerdoni'' was included with forms found south of the Palghat Gap, which are now separated as the Kerala Laughingthrush.